The Twin Cities metro area has seen a spike in population growth over the past decade, adding more than 400, 000 residents. Many of these new residents are settling into the fast-growing suburban ring that surrounds the central cities, where few transportation choices exist. By 2020 the metro area is projected to grow by another 500,000 people.
As most Minnesota drivers can attest, recent studies confirm, traffic
congestion in the Twin Cities metro area is growing worse every year.
As Minnesotans spend more and more time behind the wheel, they are also
spending more of their tax dollars on transportation infrastructure. The
Minnesota Department of Transportation recently unveiled their budget
for the 2002 road construction season, spending a record $1 billion dollars
on road repairs and improvements. Governor Ventura, the legislature, and
the Metropolitan Council have all weighed in on how they see the future
growth of the Twin Cities shaping up. Some say expanding existing highways
and building new ones is the best way to accommodate new growth, while
others see boosting transit infrastructure is the most efficient way of
managing that growth.
Several schemes designed to navigate the problems of congestion, pollution and transportation choice have been put in place in recent years. High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes were built to encourage carpooling. These lanes have been a moderate success, operating at slightly more than half of their capacity. However, during peak travel times they are moving more people per lane than unrestricted lanes. Ramp meters have also been used to help control the flow of traffic, with limited success.
Light rail is the latest plan to give Twin Cities residents more choices in how they get around. It is perhaps the most controversial plan to address transportation needs to date. Critics point to statistics that say 93 percent of trips in the Twin Cities are taken by car and say light rail is an expensive boondoggle that doesn’t take into consideration what most people in the Twin Cities want or need.
Smart Growth advocates and environmentalists argue that light rail is a step in the right direction and will give Minnesotan’s more options in how they choose to travel. Jim Erkel of the Center for Environmental Advocacy says, "We know there is going to be congestion, but residents should have an opportunity to step out of it if they want through other transit choices."
